Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

[craker]

The cost of oil is going up Yamalube - johnson - mercury etc. all have expensive oil, they say supeior oil. But there sits the Lubri-Matic for only $8.99 a gallon. Is there really a difference (boater on a budget).

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

Yes, there is a difference, but The diferences are minor untill you start looking at the synthetics. Because you are on a budget, You can use the WallMart oil TC-W3 and suffer no ill effects other than maybe needing to decarb more often. The more expensive oils will (Generally) burn cleaner and may offer a slight amount of extra wear protection. Not enough that you will know in your lifetime though. If yo push your engine really hard, use a better oil, or mix a little richer.

 

[JB]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

The price of oil has very little to do with quality, Craker, it has a lot to do with what name is on the bottle and who is selling it.<br /><br />NMMA sets standards for outboard oils and certifies those that meet or exceed those standards. Therefore: If an oil is certified TC-W3 by NMMA, it is good for carbureted water cooled outboards.<br /><br />EFI and DFI outboards may require more specialized oil, so let the Owner's Manual be your guide for required (not the same as recommended) oil specs.<br /><br />We have had bloody wars on this subject here, including name calling and personal insults. We will not allow a repeat of that.<br /><br />For further info on the subject go to the Engine FAQ section and read up on outboard oil.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

hahahah bloody wars and insults my eye. I used a voodoo doll <br />depends on what motor your running. DFI or EFI with an O2 sensor I reccomend the brand it calls for. most all others work well on wally world. my 120 has never had a decarb and runs 3 to 4 trips from kitty hawk to manteo a week. it also idled for stripers at the currituck bridge for 4 hours yesterday got 8 nice ones. all its burned since I rebuilt it in 95 is wally world. heck I even changed the plugs about 3 years ago never buy a motor from a tech . so tell us what kind of motor your running and how much fuel you normally burn and the reccomendations may get better.<br /> good luck and keep posting. PS insults bring out the voodoo dolls

 

[craker]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

Thanks for the replies!<br />My motor is an 87' Yamaha V6 Excel 225hp<br />The DFI/EFI I'm Not sure of.<br />I have a small tank for oil and a 90 gal gas tank<br />The motor is carburated.<br />I run out of Emerald Isle,NC <br />I run maybe an average of 1 or 2 trips a week usually 4 to 8 hrs -trolling, fishing, relaxing, whatever.<br />Again thanks for the help

 

[Boilermaker]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

I tryed the oil from WestMarine, in my carbed Johnson 115 crossflow>>>it ran OK but smoked a lot & idled rough.<br /> I switched to Penzoil Synthetic, (less then $12 a gal. at Wallmart)and couldn't beleive the differance>>>MUCH smoother idle, NO oil exhust smell & very little smoke. Says its good & Meets factory warrenty specs for ALL outboards, injected or carbed.<br />I don't know how many people on Emerald Isle, but if your on the intracoastal, say Hi to the Kelly brothers, Jack & Owen.

 

[TheOilDoc]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

LubriMatic is a fine oil. It meets or exceeds the specification for your outboard. You can't judge oil by the price. Price is a marketing issue, not a performance issue.<br /><br />Different outboards perform and react differently to oil. Much depends on combustion characteristics and the design of the engine. Blanket statements of which oil is better are really dependent on the outboard itself. Remember that most outboard manufacturers don't specify a brand of oil. They only list a specification (ex: tcw3). <br /><br />Member LubeDude: If there is technical information showing LubriMatic requires more decarbing (or any decarbing at all), and that more expensive oils burn cleaner and provide better wear protection than less expensive oils, would you please reference. I would like to interpret this technical information for members here.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Does brand really matter for 2 stroke oil?

...<br />My motor is an 87' Yamaha V6 Excel 225hp<br />The DFI/EFI I'm Not sure of....<br />The motor is carburated.<br />[/QB]

DFI means Direct Fuel Injection. This refers to the newest 2 stroke technology like FICHT, Optimax, ETec, Yamaha (is it HPDI?), those sort of motors.<br /><br />EFI means electronic fuel injection. This is "normal" fuel injection found in 2 strokes, 4 strokes and cars which have fuel injection rather than carbs.<br /><br />If your's is a carb'd engine, it doesn't have either. <br /><br />No comment on the oil, except buy what you can afford and mix it properly and you'll never have an oil related failure, imho.